Fuel briquette and the process of making same



Patented Jan. 29, 1924.

rnnrx a. voenn, or NEW YORK, 1:. Y., nssxcuon TO THE GENERAL FUEL nnxounrrn v v W 1 1,481,942 PATENT oFi-ucn;

CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y-, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

runnnnmum'rn AND THE rnocnss or MAKING SAME.

Ito Drawing.

- tain new and useful Improvements in Fuel -Briquettes and the Processes of Making;

Same, of which the following-is a1 cation.

The invention-relates to the manufacture of fuel briquettes and has for its object the production of such a" briquette which will not disintegrate in the presence of moisture. The problem of producing a fuel briquet'te l5 ofthis character is one oflong standing. It has heretofore been proposed to mix fuel fines with a large varietyof substances or compounds which may be termed binders by reason of their adhesive character. Among such sustances are starch, sugar, molasses, sulphite pitch (waste from paper mills) and similar cellulose compounds. These materials called binders, even after thebriquette is dried, remain soluble and the 2 briquettes when they subsequently come in contact with moisture or areexposed to rain begin to disintegrate. Various processes "have heretofore been adopted for overcoming the dificulty and to cause the production W .of a briquette which shall be waterproof in character. Some of these efforts have been to render the binder insoluble but none of the suggestions have led'to the production of a merchantable waterproof fuel briquette of the binder type. The manner in which I overcome the difficulties hitherto existing is as follows 2' Fuel fines are dried according to the usual practice, preferably in a rotary drier.

in a suitable quantity of water in proper J propcrtion' The solution is preferably introduced to the fuel fines in a horizontal paddle-mixer or some. other appropriate appliance. The proportion of binder will naturally vary according to its particular char .acteristic but maygenerally be stated as being from t to 10 per cent] When sulphite ,pitch'is used, the proportion is about 6 to. 8 I per cent. The solution of binder and water and the fuelfines are thoroughlymixed in the paddle-mixer and when the mixing operation is complete, themi'xed flux of coal and binder is introduced into a. masticator consisting preferably of heavy rolls l then add a carbohydrate binder dissolved it is pressed into the form of briquettes in Application filed October 1a, 1919. Serial no. 330,392.

in Canadian Patent No. 184,646 of May 28, 1918, to Van Hall, Basenau and Van Haathe mixture causes a close digestion and intercompounding of the coal with the binder gen, The action of this masticator upon a and the result is that each particle of coal obtains a thin film or coating of the dissolved binder. The application of the principle of mastication to briquettes compounded witha binder also leads to the use of a minimum amount of the binder substance. When the briquette is completed (there would consequently be a minimum amount of moisture and soluble binder in the product, vwhich is of material assistance in the fixing or carbonizing operation. The princpal of mastication is employed in the Van Hall patent, to which reference has been made, for the purpose of setting up in the coal particles an autogenous cementing quality so that a binder is not required. By'employing the masti-.

cation principle in connection wlth a binder,

however, a new result is obtained in that by reason of the thin minutecoating of binder on each coal particle the ultimate briquette consists of a connected net-work, as it were composed of the various thin layers of binder solution where they contact with one another. A briquette formed from material thus treated'will in efiect be a body composed of a multiplicity of minute ockets all connected together and each poc ct closed and'containing within itself a minute particle of coal or other fuel substance used as thebase of -the fuel briquette.

After the material leaves the masticator any standard pressin accordance with well known practice.

The briquette in this shape, when dried, will still contain the water soluble binder and will, consequently, notbe waterproof,

so that it becomes necessary to convert the permanence of the briquette as such. After. the briquettes have received the last heat thatit is fibrous and "of close texture, The

process consists in passing the I briquettes through a suitableheating appliance comprising a series of zones of increasing temperature. Care should be exercised that the heat treatment in the various zones in uniform for each zone. The first zoneis maintained at a heat of approximately 300 ,F. and the briquettes are allowed to remain in this zone for approximately forty minutes.v

The next zone is maintained, at approximately 400 F. and the briquettes are exposed to this temperature for about five minutes. The next zone is maintained at interstices minute particles 'of-coal or other fuel. The structure of the carbon in this briquette is different from 'the structure of ,the carbon of'prior'briquettes in that it is fibrous and fine-textured) whereas the. car'- bon in prior briquettes has been non-fibrous, granular and deficient in tenacious cohesive faculty. I attribute the result which 1 obtain to the circumstanc that I use a limited volume of binding materiaL-less than would be required to produce, by itself, a

properly cohering briquette upon mere mixmg of the fuel and the binder without subsequent intermastication The result of using so little of the binding material and nevertheless of distributingit completely throughout the fuel compels the formation of a universally distributed, exceedingly thin film of binding substance which coats practically each particle of the fuel without anywhere existing in the mass in the form of i an accumulation or a drop of the binder.

Upon subsequent carbonization there is produced a carbonized .mesh ofsuch small transverse dimension as to .be almost unmeasurable, which mesh extends, however,

fthroughout the entire briquette and is of special and unique character, which manifests itself in the ultimate result as a fibrous,

fine-textured carbon which tenaciously holds together and assists I materially in securing treatment, they may be subjected to a cool ,ing treatment, in which either water or air may be used as the cooling medium so that is cbinplete the. brithe briquettes will beconiesufiiciently cool to allow of immediate storage.

What I claim is 1. In the art of producing briquettes that improvement which consists in mlxing finely.

comminuted particles of a substance to be briquetted with a relatively small proportion of a dissolved water soluble binding substance, sufli'cient in quantity but limited to supply only a coating of the particles upon the subsequent masticating treatment, coating each of the particles to be briquetted with a minute film of the binding solution by subjecting the mixture to a masticating action until no accumulation of the binder as such exists in the mixture but the whole of said binder has been converted into a thin film extending throughout the mass of the material, then forming the material into briquettes, removing the moisture therefrom and carbonizing the binder.

2. In the art of producing fuel briquettes that improvement which consists in mixing finely comminuted fuel with a relatively small proportion of a dissolved watersoluble binding substance, suflicient in quantity but limited to supply only a coating of the particles upon the subsequent masticating treatment, coating each particle of the fuel with a minute film of the binding solution by subjecting the mixture to a masticating action until no accumulation of the binder as such exists in the mixture but the Whole of said binder has'been converted into a thin .film extending throughout the mass of the material, then forming the material into briquettes and subjecting the briquettes to successive stages of increasing heat to remove' moisture 'andto carbonize the binder 3. In the art of producing fuel briquettes that improvement which consists in mixing finelyomminuted fuel with a relatively smallproportion of a dissolved water-soluible binding substance, suflicient in quantity butlimitedto supply onl a coating of the fuel particles upon the su equent masticating treatment, coating each particle of, the fuel with a minute film of the binding solution by subjecting the mixture to a masticating action until no accumulation of the binder as such exists in the mixture but the whole of said binder has been converted into a thin film extending throughout the mass of the material, forming the material into. I

briquettes, completely removing the moisture therefrom and reducing the binder to fibrous, fine-textured carbon.

l. A fuel briquette' comprising a connected network of carbon supporting and containing within itself minute particles of finely comminuted fuel and holding the vsame together-in the form of a briquette, the

briquette being waterproof and weatherpioof and the result of a treatment whereby elytomminuted particles of fuel mixed,

with a Water-soluble binding substance are subjected first to a masticating action until no accumulation of the binder as such exists in the mixture, but the whole of said binder has been converted into a thin film extending. throughout the mass of the material,

said material having been then compressed into briquette form and after briquetting, treated for the removal of moisture and carbonization of the binder.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FELIX A. VOG-EL. 

